Bottle-handling apparatus.



' J. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPUCATION FILED APR.16. 1917.

Patent-ed Mar. 4,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

gnaw/whoa o m w w w J. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. I917.

1 396,547. I Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1911.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

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J. C. MILLER.

BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION F[LED APR.,I6, I9I7.

1,296,547; 7 v Patented Mar.4,1919.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. MILLER, OF CQVINGTQN, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

THE MILLERPASTEURIZING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORA- TIONor OHIO.

BOTTLE-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Original application filed August 24, 1903, Serial No. 170,645. Dividedand this application filed April 16,

1917. Serial No. 162,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JO N 'C. ll/lmnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton .and'

State of Kentucky, hav invented certain new and useful- Improvements 1nand Relating to Bottle-Handling Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

Another object of the invention isto provide in mechanism of thischaracter improved devices which 'grip and hold the bottles while theyare being moved.

With these and other objects in view the inventionconsists ofthe partsor combination of parts hereinafter described.

For the purpose of illustration I have,

in the accompanying drawings, shown and herein described one formofapparatus embodying my lnvention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodyingv my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the apparatus. a a

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the conveyer mechanism.

Figsfi, 5 and 6 are detail views.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views of certain of thedrivingelements.

In the drawings A represents the framework as a whole, B the conveyerfor the bottles, G the liquid receptacle or tank, D

the filling devices as an entirety, E the cap:

ping devices as an entirety and F the sealing mechanism as an entirety.The main or primary driving mechanism is indicated by G and the drivingmechanism for the conveyer and for the stop devices by H, while Idesignates the mechanism'for regulating the feed of the liquid as awhole.

The frame A preferably consists of a metal base 1 upon which are securedthe bottles.

side plates 2. 3 is a material holding receptacle secured to the sideplates- At the rear said side plates are joined by a T-shaped bracket 5uponv which someof the driving parts are mounted. The lower front end ofthe receptacle 3 is formed with openings through which the liquidescapes. 9 indicates projections or bosses arranged at opposite sides ofthe machine and adapted to rigidly supportguide rods 10.

13 indicates tubes for directing the liquid from the escape ducts oropenings to the To each of these tubes is fitted a sleeve 14 which atits lower end is enlarged,

as shown at 1-5, and adapted to receive the mouth of a bottle and alsopreferably flared to, direct the mouth of the bottle into the groove. 7r

The liquid releasing mechanism consists of valves 21 and valve rods 24which extendup through the liquid escape ducts and upward through thetank 3 are secured to the cross head 25' in any suitable manner,

preferably by'screw thread connections and lock nuts as shown at 24*.This cross head is provided at its ends with shoulders or bosses 26through which the rods 10 are passed, said rods'servin'g to guide thecross head vertically. 28 are anti-friction rollers mounted at eitherside of said cross head for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

31 are rods slidably mounted at their up.- per ends preferably inbrackets 29, each of which is carried by the cross head 25. At theirlower ends the rods 31 carry plates 32 for depressing the sleeves 14.Said plates 32 are secured to the rods 31 between two adjustable collars33 which are adapted to be locked to the rods by the set screws 34. 36is a loose collar mounted on each rod 31. The collar 36 serves as anabutment for a spring 37 which extends between saidcollar 36 and theadjacent bracket 29v and tends to move the. adjacent plate 32downwardly.

The depression plates 32 bear upon and cause the sleeves to movedownward. 38 is a lever arm pivotally mounted on a shaft 39 which ismounted in the bracket 4, and proweight. The outer end 41 of the armis'bifurcated to partially surround the adjacent sleeve 14 and to bearupon the depression plate 32.

. vided at 40 with a longitudinally adjustable Of the capping devices E,42, 43, are guide sleeves adapted to guide slide rods 44. 45 is a crosshead secured to the rods 44 and adapted to be moved up and down thereby.

47 are hollow plungers movably mounted in vertical legs of the brackets4, each arranged in the longitudinal plane of a filling head andconnected by a rod 48 in any well known manner to the cross head 45.Secured in the horizontal legs of the bracket-s 4 and equally spacedfrom the vplungers are feed hoppers or magazines 52 for the closures ordisks 53.- The hoppers 52 preferably pass up through and loosely fitsuitable openings in the cross head 45. The upper ends of the hoppers 52are preferably opened to permit ready filling with disks 53. 54 is aweight rod shaped to bear upon and cause the downward feed of the disksin the maga zine.

56 are shoulders or lugs which project out under the magazines 52, andsupport a transversely arranged plate 57, and in close proximity to thebottom of the magazines. The plate is formed with apertures adapted toregister with the grooves in the mouths of the bottles to be capped.Mounted on said plate 57 is the endwise reciprocatable valve or diskadvancing plate 59, which feeds the caps or disks from the magazines topositions above the apertures in the plate 57.

118 indicates a paraflin tank preferably supported by the sides 2. Thetank 118 is adapted to hold melted paraffin. 'In its bottom are formedapertures through which the paraffin flows to the tops of the bottlesafter. they have been capped, for the purpose of sealing them. 121 is anendwise reciprocating valve plate supported adjacent to the bottom ofthe tank. This plate is provided with apertures which register atpredetermined intervals with the apertures in the bottom of thetank tocontrol the escapeof sufficient paraffin to properly seal the bottleclosures. 124 is a pipe for steam orhot water leading to the heatingcoil 125 in the bottom of the tank which is adapted to keep the paraffinin a molten condition. 126 is a dis charge pipe for the water. Aboveeach aperture in the tank may be arranged a throttle valve consistingpreferably of a disk having an aperture the-rethrough adapted toregister with the aperture in the tank below it. This disk is providedwith a stem which extends through and, by means of a screw thread, adjustably engages with one side wall of the tank, being provided at itsouter end with a thumb piece 130. The flow of paraffin through any oneor all of the apertures may thus be quickly regulated by adjusting saidthrottle valves.

The bottle advancing and conveying mechanism preferably consists of atable 66 which extends from end to end of the frame 1 in a plane belowthe filling mechafor as many bottles as the machine is adapted to fillat one time. Each cross carrier consists preferably of a bar 7 5recessed as shown at 76 for the purpose of lightening the parts. 7 8indicates pairs of pins or guide devices the inner ends of which may besecured in any desired manner to the front face of each bar 75. 77indicates a plurality of jaws, one for each bottle. At its opposite endseach jaw 77 is provided with lugs or projecting end] walls 77 formedwith openings through which a. pair of pins 78 extend to support the jawon the adjacent bar 75. At their outer ends the pins 78 are providedwith heads 78 which serve as stops to prevent the adjacent jaw fromsliding off of the pins. The pairs of. pins 78 project from the frontface of each bar 75 a distance greaterthan the thickness of the endwalls 77 to permit the jaws to move toward-and from the front face ofthe adjacent bar 75. 75 indicates one or more recesses formed in thefront face or wall of each bar 75 adjacent to each of the jaws 77'and'77indicates a recess or recesses formed in the rear wall of each jaw 77 inalinement with each of the recesses 75*. 80 indicates a spring,preferably of the compression type, mounted in each two alined recessesin the bar 75 and adjacent jaw 77. One end of the spring 80 bearsagainst the bottom of the recess 75 in which it is-mounted and itsopposite end bears against the bottom of the alined recess in theadjacent 'jaw 77 and normally tends to move the latter outwardly. Ipreferably provide a pair of springs between each jaw 77 and theadjacent bar 7 5 and arrange them relatively close to the guiding andsupporting pins 78 so as to overcome bending tendencies between the jaw77 and pins 78; also, due'to the concaved sha eof each jaw to conform tothe contour o the bottles, the jaw walls are thicker near their oppositeends and thus permit a relatively deep recess 77 'to be formed therein.This arrangement is advantageous in that it permits the use ofrelatively thin jaws which tend to materially reduce the weight of theconveyer as a whole. 7 V V The bars 75 are spaced from each otherrelationship.

' The bottles 180 rest on and slide over the table 66, but beinggrippedbetween the jaws 77 and bar 75, they are steadied and maintainedupright While being moved by the eonveyer forwardly.

81 indicates ribs mounted on and extending longitudinally of the-table66 in parallel The ribs 81 are preferably secured to the table 66bybolts 82. The ribs 81 are uniformly spaced from each other asufficient distance to receive between them a bottle but to permit thebottle to freely slide or move between them over the table. The ribs 81extend upwardly a considerable distance and thus serve not only to bracethe bottles at their bottoms, but to cooperate with the gripping jaw-s77 to.

steady the-bottles and prevent bodily or tilting 'movements thereoflaterally. The

upper edges-of the ribs-81 are disposed: in a plane coinciding with theplane in which the lower faces of the bars 7 5 are supported.

By this arrangementthe bars'7 5, intermedi-- ate their opposite ends,are supported by and ride on the ribs 81. This prevents sag- V ging ofthe bars 75 and also insuresthe engagement of the jaws 77 with thebottles 180 at or near their centers of gravity.

Motion is preferably imparted to the con veyer 72 through the shaft 83mounted in bearings 84 (see Fig. 7) in the downward projections 85 of:the table. The transmission of power-is obtained througha wheel 86secured to said shaft and'pro-vided' near its periphery with a. lug 87projectingat right angles to its face, said lug being adapted to engagewith the radially arranged clips 88 on the face of a wheel 89 rigidlysecured to the shaft 70. By these devices a step by step motion isimparted to the con- Iveyer, the movements depending on the r0 tation ofthe shaft 83, to insure that' the bottles shall be positioned properlyat the points where they are to be filled, capped and sealed. r

I preferably provide automaticallyactuated stop devices for each of thebottles adapted to limit the advance of the. same beyond a certain pointduring each step by step movement 'of the conveyeri The parts of thesestop-devices are illustrated in Fig. 2. 90, 91, are horizontal crossbars arranged beneath the table 66. *Se'cuied theretoandextendingvertically" upward therefrom are the -pins of stop bars '92,7 93, which pass through the bosses or guides 94 on the table and' areadapted to be projected into the pathways of the bottles at their pointsof fillingand capping, as shown. 95,96, are

brackets secured to the bottom of the table and'adapted to-support thecross bars 90, 91,

and their operative parts. 97 is a longitudinally reciprocating rodfitted into. the guides i 98 on the said brackets and adapted for slightvertical play therein; At its front end the said rod is pivoted to onearm of a bell crank-lever 99 which is pivotally mounted in a projectionon the bracket 95. The other arm of said lever is pivoted to one end ofIt will: be noted that the bell crank levers are mounted in such amanner that the weight of the partssupported by them will 1 tendnormally to-throw the rod 97 rearward and withdraw the stop bars 92,path of the bottles.

93, from the 104: 's acamsecured to the shaft 83. Its

edges engage with the rear end of the. rod

points, and the cam will, furthermore, permit the gradual withdrawal ofsaid stop bars on the rod 97. 7

It is very essential in machines of this description that quick andeflicient means be provided for the adjustment of the bottle cappingparts or vice versa, so as to readily accommodate the machine for thefilling and capping of bottles of different lengths For this purpose Ihave mounted and balanced the table centrally upon a supporter bracket105, free to be vertically adjusted relative of the base 1 and serves asthe supporting" memberfforthe table 66. 1'13, 114:, indicate bearingpieces secured to opposite sides of theplate 112. The shaft 108 passescentrally through an openingin the plate 112 and bearing pieces 113,114:. The collar 110 bears upon the upper end of the hub 113,.

115 is a horizontal shaft arranged directly below the vertical shaft 108and having its ends mounted in the framework 1. It is provided with abevel gear 116 adapted to return throw of the return supports or tablerelative to the filling'and mesh with and drive the bevel gear 111. Theshaft'115 may project beyond one side of the base of the machine and beprovided with a hand wheel 117 through which power may be applied toturn the shaft, thereby raising or lowering the table 66 and itsattached parts as desired.

The power for driving all the operative .parts of the apparatus ispreferably applied through the pulleys 131 on the shaft 132 which ismounted longitudinally of the machine in bearings 133, preferably formedintegral with the cross plate orbracket 5.

The shaft is provided between said-bearings with a worm 134 adapted tomesh with and drive a worm gear 135 secured to the transverse shaft 136which is rotatably mounted in bearings 137 on the upwardly Xtending arms138 of the sides of .the frame. Power for operating the filling andcapping mechanism is applied as follows:

At its extremities this transverse shaft 136.

by means of pivoted-links 147 and are also connected between collars 148on the slide rods44 of the rear cross head 45.

149 is the cam through which motion is preferably transmitted, bymechanism (not shown) to the reciprocating valve plates 59 and 121. Thecam is secured to the shaft 136 at any convenient point.

The power transmitting devices for the conveyer comprise a gear 158rigidly secured to the shaft 136 and adapted to mesh with a pinion 159on a shaft 160 mounted in a bearing 161 at the upper end of the frame"arm 138.

On the outer end of-the shaft 160 is secured a sprocket wheel 162 beltedby a chain 163 to a sprocket wheel 164. The

sprocket wheel 164 is secured to a counter, shaft 165 which is mountedin a bearing 166 carried by the table 66. On the inner end of said shaft165 is secured a gear 167 which meshes with a gear 168 on the shaft 83.-

L indicates as an entirety means for centering the mouths of the bottlesso that the inserting device for the closures will register exactly withthe groove or opening in the mouths thereof. Thesemeans consist of atransverse bar 169 secured in the side plates of the frame. Pivoted tosaid bar are a series of parallel arms or bars 170, each provided withan apertured plate 171. walls of the aperturesin the plate 171 areflared for the purpose of engaging the mouths of the bottles and causingtheir The openings to register with the apertures, thus insuring thatthe closures 53 will be properly directed into the mouths ofthe bottles.174 is a transverse bar arranged above but connected to the arms 170 byrods 175. Atits ends said bar is mounted on the rods176 pivotallysuspended from the levers 144 and guided at their lower ends in brackets177.

secured to the sides of the frame. Springs 178 mounted on the rodsbetween'the said brackets and the bar174 exert an upward pressure on thebar, thus holding the centering arms normally above the bottles. 179

are collars rigidly secured to the rods 176 above the bar 174. Theirfunction is to (16 press said bar against the pressure of the saidsprings'as the lever 144 rocks downward, causing the centering arms toengage the mouths of the bottles and center'them just prior to theinsertion-thereinv of the closure. r

The operation of the apparatus may be described as follows: Startingthen withthe cross member 25 at-the upper end of its stroke, the poweris applied through the pul-l ley 131 and transmitted through shaft 132to the shaft 136 simultaneously imparting,

motion to all of the driven parts. The lugs on the disks 139, which areat this time at the lowest points intheir anti-clockwise pathsofrotationl, beginto rise thereby swmging the levers 141 on theirpivots142 and causing their .front ends to descend and at the same timecausing the descent of the levers 144 under pressure applied to; themthrough the links 147, whereby the rear cross head 45 carrying theplungers 47 also begins its descent. The power transmitted to theconvey'ermechanism has in the meantime caused the advance of theconveyer,

and the projecting of the stop devices 92, 93,

into'the pathway of the bottles at the points.

of filling and capping, so that the bottles 7 are now properlypositioned under the respective devices.

The forward advance of the conveyer sections is then interrupted and theheads 15' engage with the mouths of the empty bottles,

the collars 179 on the rods 176 contact with y and depress the bar 174and cause the centering arms 170 to engage and center the mouths of thebottles under the capping mechanisms.

The further downward movement of the 7 forward ends of the levers l4lpermits the cross head 25 carrying the Valve rods 24vto unseat theescape valves 21 against the resistance of the springs 37 and therebypermit the flow of liquid from the tank 3 to the bot-,

vtles. Just before the front ends of the levers 141 reach the lower endof their stroke the cam 149 operates the valve plates 59 and 121, theformer transfers the disks 53 from the magazines 52 to the aperturesabove the bot tles, depositing them upon supporting wings (not shown);while the valve. plate 121 opens the escape ducts to permit the flow ofparaflin from its tank to the closures on the bottles beneath it.

v The further downward movement of the levers 141, acting through thelevers 144, causes the plungers 47 to drive the closures 53 into themouths of the bottles. .By this time the lugs on the disks 139 havereached the uppermost point in their circular course and now begin todescend, thereby causing the outer ends of the levers 141' to swingupward carrying therewith the cross heads 25 and 45.

Thecam lO4on the shaft 83 now permits the withdrawal of the stopelements 92, 93, from the paths of the bottles. The cam 149 shifts thevalve plates 59 and 121, causing the apertures in the former to registerwith the apertures in the magazines 52; the shift ing of the lattervalve cutting ofl the flow of paraffin from its tank. The escape valves21 are reseated, cutting off the flow of liquid to the bottles and thefilling heads 15 are lifted above the mouths of the same.

The lug 87 carried by the wheel 86 on the shaft 83 now engages with acleat 88 on the wheel 89 and the conveyer moves forward advancing allthe bottles one step. In the meantime a row of bottles to be filled hasbeen placed in the conveyer sections at the forward end of the table.

The machine shown is adapted to fill and cap bottles of two capacities.For this pur pose I prefer to regulate the quantity of liquid. deliveredto the bottles by changing the speed of rotation of the shaft 132. Thedriving pulley, not shown, is of fixed diameter and rotated at a certainuniform speed, while the pulley 131 is provided with two belt engagingportions each of which is so proportioned that it will cause the valves21 in the filling heads 15 to be unseated for a fixed period of timenecessary to permit the flow through the tubes 13 into the bottles of apredetermined quantity of liquid.

If the belt is placed upon the part of the pulley 131 of largestdiameter the valve 21 will be opened for one period of time; on theother hand, if the belt is placed upon the part of the pulley of smallerdiameter, the operation of the parts of the machine will be more rapidthan in the first instance, and therefore a smaller quantity of liquidwill be permitted to escape past the valve 21. It will thus beunderstood that by changing the speed of rotation of the shaft 132, themachine may be adapted to fill bottles of different capacity.

When the table is adjusted vertically it is necessary that some form ofcompensating device be provided for either lengthening or shortening thechain 163, according to the 1 direction of adjustment of the table. Inthe drawings I have shown a slotted or grooved plate 181 secured to theframework of the machine. 182 is a bolt, the head of which is adapted toengage with the inner walls of the said groove. This bolt extendsoutwardly from the frame and is provided with a tubing or sleeve 183-anda nut 184. A

sprocket idler 185 is loosely mountedon the said sleeve, as shown.

To those skilled in the art of making apparatus of-the class described,many alterations in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of my invention will suggest themselves, withoutdepartingfrom the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and thedescription herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be inany sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support, aplurality of transverse bars for moving the bottles over said support, aplurality of members con nected to one side of each bar and movablerelative thereto independently of each other, each said member beingrecessed to engage a bottle, and a pair of springs interposed betweenthe opposite ends of each said member and the adjacent transverse barand tending to move the member therefrom, whereby said member may engageone wall of a bottle and hold it in engagement with the opposing wall ofthe other bar while moving it over said support.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support,means for moving the bottles over said support, said means including aplurality of transverse bars, a plurality of members connected to oneside of each bar and movable relative thereto independently of eachother, and a spring interposed between each said member and the adjacenttransverse bar and tending to move the member therefrom, whereby saidmember may engage one wall of a bottle and hold it in engagement withthe opposing wall of the other bar while moving it over said support,and guides fixed to said support and engaging the walls of the bot tleto prevent lateral movement thereof as it is moved over said support.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support,and means for moving bottles over said support, said means includingpairs of transverse bars, pairs of pins projecting horizontally from oneside wall of each bar, a jaw slidably mounted at its opposite ends oneach pair of said pins and adapted to engage a bottle,

and a spring normally tending to move the aw away from the adjacent bartomaintain the bottle against the opposing wall of the other bar.

4:. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a support,and means for movingbottles over said support,said means 7 includingpairs of transverse bars, pairs of pins projecting horizontally from oneside wall of each bar, a jaw slidably'mountecl' at its opposite ends oneach pair of saidpins, the bottle engaging wall of each jaw beingconcaved between the pins upon which it ismounted and adapted to engagea bottle, and a spring normally tending to move the jaw away from theadjacent bar to maintain the bottle against the opposing wall of theother bar.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a support, means for moving bottles over said support,said means including pairs of transverse bars, pairs of pins adj ustablyconnected to and projecting horizontally from one side wall of each bar,a jaw slidably mounted at its opposite ends on each pair of said pinsand adapted toen- In testlmony whereof have hereunto signed my name. r

J OHN'C. MILLER.

v Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner ot latents- Washington, D. 0." V 1

